U.S.-flag barge marks first in Cuba

U.S.-flag barge marks first in Cuba    Another step towards full resumption of commercial shipping between the United States and Cuba was reached last Friday, when a U.S.-flag barge called at the port of Cuba to discharge paper, according to wire services.
   The barge, operated by Maybank Shipping, was the first U.S.-flag ship to arrive in Cuba for 40 years, according to reports.
   Maybank Shipping, based in Charleston, S.C., serves two main load ports: Mobile, Ala. on the Gulf Coast and Nassau in Fernandina Beach, Fla.
   The news follows the announcement that Cuba has signed its first strategic shipping agreement with a U.S. port, the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas.
   Crowley Liner Services has already provided a direct service between the U.S. and Cuba, using non-U.S.-flag ships.